Saint Heliconis of Thessalonica, May 28
Ἑλικωνὶς τμηθεῖσα τὴν κάραν ξίφει
Οὐχ Ἑλικῶνα, ἀλλ' Ἐδὲμ τρυφὴν ἔχει.
Saint Heliconida (Heliconis) lived during the reign of King Gordian III, in the middle of the 3rd AD. century (238 – 244 AD). She was from Thessalonica but moved to Corinth, where she was denounced as a Christian to the lord Perinius. In vain he tried to dissuade her from the Christian faith. She stood firm and shouted that she was a Christian. Enraged, Perinius then cursed her vulgarly and shaved her head.
Heliconida smilingly replied: "You, prince, consider the body and its beauty to be a man, you think that it is the main human virtue, and on this basis you base your humble and temporary happiness. But for us Christians, the earthly body is just like clothing.
This will one day get old and be thrown away. Therefore, whatever you do to my perishable body will not disturb me, because you will not succeed, by the grace of God, in harming the body of my soul, where we Christians base our eternal happiness."
Perinius then ordered and they put the saint in melted lead and bitumen. But divine grace kept her unharmed. The same thing happened, when later the proconsul Justin also threw her into the fire and the wild beasts. Finally Heliconida was beheaded and thus wore the amaranth wreath of martyrdom for Christ.
Saint Heliconida is honored every year by our Church on May 28
Σχόλια